Without further ado, here’s the best in sportswriting from the month of January.

Sportswriters of the month: The Indianapolis Star, Lansing State Journal, Detroit News and others who covered Larry Nassar all along

Jan. 24, 2018; Lansing, MI, USA; There was little reaction of the face of Larry Nassar as Ingham County Circuit Judge Rosemarie Aquilina delivered her sentence during the final day of victim impact statements in Ingham County Circuit Court. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Dae Smith/Lansing State Journal via USA TODAY NETWORK

It’s no exaggeration to say that without reporters at these publications, Nassar might not have been exposed and his enablers might not have faced consequences. There has rarely been a better example of the value of local news.

Oral history of the month:

You can’t tell the story of the NBA without touching on the influx of foreign-born players, and you won’t find that phenomenon covered more thoroughly than it is here. This lengthy oral history has an awesome blend of fun stories, amusing quotes and genuine insight into what life is like for NBA players from Europe, Africa and South America.

Maya Moore is one of the most thoughtful and insightful athletes in America (not to mention most talented), and her back-and-forth with Jemele Hill feels natural and comfortable in a way interviews with superstars rarely are.

The month in sportswriting news:

It was a tumultuous month for DK Pittsburgh Sports. Founder Dejan Kovacevic apologized for being “a really bad boss,”amid allegations that he was overbearing and belligerent, then handed off his job to his wife and colleague. When a Deadspin report added context to previous claims and also produced claims of sexual misconduct, multiple DK Pittsburgh Sports reporters resigned.

No one has done a better job covering baseball’s slow offseason and fraught labor situation than Jeff Passan. This piece should be required reading for fans wondering why their favorite teams haven’t signed any star players this winter.

By the end of the season, protests were no longer the NFL’s hottest topic, but that didn’t make them feel any less vital to the handful of players who demonstrated all the way through Week 17. After reading this, you can’t possibly be confused about the activists’ purpose.

It turns out Nassar’s abuse was but one aspect of a damaged culture in the Michigan State athletic department. Outside the Lines exposed flippant treatment of sexual assault not only in the Spartans’ gymnastics program but also in the football and basketball programs.

Change never comes about easily, as the leaders of any social movement will tell you, and this piece pulls back the curtain on tension among NFL activists while delicately avoiding judgment on a loaded debate.

By the time this OTL report was published, America had begun to recognize Larry Nassar’s abuses, but the various Michigan State and USA Gymnastics enablers had gone largely unpunished. This story, and others like it, went a long way toward changing that.

About Alex Putterman

Alex is a writer and editor for The Comeback and Awful Announcing. He has written for The Atlantic, VICE Sports, MLB.com, SI.com and more. He is a proud alum of Northwestern University and The Daily Northwestern. You can find him on Twitter @AlexPutterman.